USPTO Patents Application 09842750

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CLAIMS

I claim:

5 1. A method for transmitting Packetized SCSI

Protocol command blocks comprising:

transmitting a first Packetized SCSI
Protocol command block; and

transmitting a second Packetized SCSI
10 Protocol command block with a substantially zero

latency following transmission of said first
Packetized SCSI Protocol command block.

2. The method of Claim 1 wherein transmitting
15 said first Packetized SCSI Protocol command block

further comprises :

transmitting at least one byte in said first
Packetized SCSI Protocol command block directly
from a storage location of said at least one
20 byte.

3 . The method of Claim 2 wherein said storage
location of said at least one byte is within a stored
first hardware I/O control block.

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4. The method of Claim 3 wherein said at least
one byte is in a logical unit number field of said
first Packetized SCSI protocol command block.

3 0 5. The method of Claim 2 wherein said storage

location of said at least one byte is within a pointer
register of a host adapter integrated circuit.

6. The method of Claim 3 wherein said stored
35 first hardware I/O control block includes a pointer to
a storage location of a second hardware I/O control

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block, and further wherein said second hardware I/O
control block includes information used directly in
said transmitting said second Packetized SCSI Protocol
command block.

7. A SCSI initiator system comprising:

a target execution queue containing at least
two hardware I/O control blocks for a SCSI target
wherein the target execution queue is stored in a
memory; and

a Packetized SCSI Protocol hardware packet
engine coupled to the target execution queue,
wherein the Packetized SCSI Protocol hardware
packet engine transmits a Packetized SCSI
Protocol command block for each hardware I/O
control block in said target execution queue with
substantially zero latency between transmission
of adjacent Packetized SCSI Protocol command
blocks .

8. The SCSI initiator system of Claim 7 wherein
the Packetized SCSI protocol hardware packet engine
further comprise:

a hardware information unit transfer
controller having a start input line and a data
out phase input line wherein the hardware
information unit transfer controller sequences
hardware generation of the Packetized SCSI
Protocol command blocks upon receiving an active
signal on the start input line and an active
signal on the data out phase input line.

9. The SCSI initiator system of Claim 8 wherein
the Packetized SCSI protocol hardware packet engine
further comprises:

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a hardware header generator coupled to the
hardware information unit transfer controller,
wherein the hardware header generator generates
fields in a command L_Q information unit in
5 response to signals from the hardware information

unit transfer controller.

10. The SCSI initiator system of Claim 8 wherein
the Packet! zed SCSI protocol hardware packet engine
10 further comprises:

a hardware body generator coupled to the
hardware information unit transfer controller,
wherein the hardware header generator generates
fields in a command information unit in response
3-5 to signals from the hardware information unit

transfer controller.

11. The SCSI initiator system of Claim 9 wherein
the Packetized SCSI protocol hardware packet engine
2 0 further comprises:

a hardware body generator coupled to the
hardware information unit transfer controller,
wherein the hardware body generator generates
fields in a command information unit in response
2 5 to signals from the hardware information unit

transfer controller .

12. The SCSI initiator system of Claim 9 further
comprising a hardware I/O control block pointer

3 0 register coupled to the hardware header generator.

13. The SCSI initiator system of Claim 10
further comprising a hardware I/O control block
pointer register coupled to the hardware body

35 generator.

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14. The SCSI initiator system of Claim 11
further comprising a hardware I/O control block
pointer register coupled to the hardware header
generator.

15. The SCSI initiator system of Claim 14
wherein the hardware I/O control block pointer
register is also coupled to the hardware body
generator.

16. A Packetized SCSI Protocol hardware packet
engine comprising:

a hardware information unit transfer
controller having a start input line and a data

15 out phase input line wherein the information unit

transfer controller sequences hardware generation
of a Packetized SCSI Protocol packet byte stream
upon receipt of an active signal on the start
input line and an active signal on the data out

2 0 phase input line; and

a hardware header generator coupled to the
hardware information unit transfer controller,
wherein the hardware header generator generates
fields in a command L_Q information unit in

2 5 response to signals from the hardware information

unit transfer controller.

17. The Packetized SCSI Protocol hardware packet
engine of Claim 16 further comprising:

30 a hardware body generator coupled to the

hardware information unit transfer controller,
wherein the hardware header generator generates
fields in a command information unit in response
to signals from the hardware information unit

35 transfer controller.

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18. The Packetized SCSI Protocol hardware packet
engine of Claim 17 further comprising a hardware I/O
control block pointer register coupled to the hardware
header generator.

19. The Packetized SCSI Protocol hardware packet
engine of Claim 17 further comprising a hardware I/O
control block pointer register coupled to the hardware
body generator.

20. The Packetized SCSI Protocol hardware packet
engine of Claim 17 further comprising a hardware I/O
control block pointer register coupled to the hardware
header generator.

21. A method for generating a Packetized SCSI
Protocol command block comprising:

transferring information required in a
command information unit and available in a
hardware I/O control block directly from the
hardware I/O control block; and

transferring information required in the
command information unit but unavailable in the
hardware I/O control block directly from a
register .

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